


Do You Think About Things Like That All The Time?

by Lady_Felucia



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Crushes, Eventual Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gay Male Character, High School, I Ship It, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Kylux - Freeform, Kylux is my OTP, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, One True Pairing, Romantic Fluff, Soft Kylux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25401283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Felucia/pseuds/Lady_Felucia
Summary: Ben Solo is a 16 year old high school student who thinks he has his life in pretty good shape. He has a good family, friends, and the joy that comes with being popular and desired amongst the female members of his class.But one day, a confession is thrown at him from out of left field, from a person that wasn’t even a blip on Ben’s radar. Will Ben be able to handle the newness and complexities that come from this revelation?More importantly, will he be able to keep the gate closed on some long-hidden feelings inside of himself?
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo
Comments: 15
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

“Where do you want to sit?”

Ben looked around, frowning. It was lunchtime, and because it was such an unseasonably nice day (in the low 70’s despite it being late November), the lunchroom has opened its balcony doors and allowed its students to eat out on the terrace. But space was limited compared to the cafeteria, and because Ben had been late getting there from his class, he and his best friend, Phasma, were now faced with a crowded seating dilemma.

“I dunno. There’s some tables near the back that aren’t full, but they aren’t directly in the sun.”

“Well, it’s warm; we don’t have to sit directly in the sun.”

She looked around, and let out a soft “Oh”. “Over there. There’s room at the end of that table, and it’s right in the middle.”

Ben looked where she was pointing, and immediately shook his head. “No. We can’t sit there. Hux is there.”

“So?”

“I can’t sit with him. It’d be awkward.”

“Awkward how? You owe him money or something?”

“No, but, um... that guy, he, um, he likes me.”

“Whaaat?”

Blushing now, and lowering his voice significantly, he elaborated, “He _likes_ me. He told me himself.”

Phasma, seeing that Ben was uncomfortable talking about this around other people, took hold of his arm and pulled him to one of the benches further out in the courtyard, by the fence. Once they were seated, she said,

“I can’t believe you never mentioned this before! When did this happen? How? What exactly did he say??”

“It was during the Fall dance, and —“

“You asshat! That dance was over two months ago, and you’re just now telling me this??”

“I know, I know. Um, you were with Dolph and I was standing by snacks. He walked over and I started to move, because I thought he wanted to get to the food, and I was blocking it. But he kinda touched my shoulder and asked if I wanted to dance.”

“Oh my GOD!”, Phasma squealed, clapping her hands down on the table. “That’s the cutest shit I’ve ever heard! Then what??”

“Cute? It was _weird_!,” Ben said, shaking his head. “But I thought he was just joking, and I kinda said ‘Huh?’ but he repeated himself and he sounded more serious the second time. “

“And what did you say?”

“I just shook my head and said I’m sorry but I’m not into boys. He seemed embarrassed but he said sorry and he walked away really quick.”

“Aw, poor baby,” Phasma said, sighing. “Must have taken him a lot of courage to say that.”

Ben put his head down wearily on the table. “Don’t try and guilt me, Phasma. I didn’t say it like an asshole; I was nice about it. And which would be worse; to lead him on or to be upfront with him from the beginning?”

“I’m not trying to ‘guilt’ you, I’m just saying. Well, you’re right, I guess it was better to end it there.”

Ben lifted his head. “It didn’t end there.”

“What do you mean?”

Ben pulled his backpack up on the table and rooted around in the front pocket. He pulled out a folded piece of paper, and handed it to her. “He came up to me at my locker like 3 days later and gave this to me.”

Phasma unfolded the paper and began to read, quietly, to herself. It took her a while, as it was in cursive.

_Ben,_

_I’m sorry that I bothered you at the dance. I didn’t mean to do it like that but it was an impulse and I couldn’t help it. I know you said you’re not into guys but I feel like my chest will explode if I don’t finally get this out: I like you. I mean I really like you, a lot. I’ve had a crush on you since we were bus partners that one time on the field trip to the museum in fifth grade._

_I don’t expect you to reply to this, and if you avoid me after this, I’ll completely understand. But like I said, I had to get it out, before I went crazy with it._

_Hux_

“Wow,” Phasma murmured, when she’d finished the letter. “Just ... wow. That’s really interesting.”

“It’s terrible, not interesting. “Do you have any idea how fucking weird things are now? I mean it’s not like we’re best friends but we see each other all the time. We have history, math, and English together. I don’t want to be a jerk but I feel strange even looking in his direction.”

“Maybe looking in his direction wouldn’t be such a bad thing, Ben.”

“What?”

“Okay, don’t get mad, just throwing this out there —“

“Phasma, dont —“

“Hux is a REALLY nice guy. He’s in my psychology class, and during free time he’s always helping other kids with their work. He’s super smart. He dresses good, he always smells nice ... and he’s kinda cute, in a nerdy way. The red hair, the glasses ... “

“Phasma. I know he’s a nice guy, okay? And I know he’s smart and all that other crap. But ... I dunno ... “

Ben felt it impossible to articulate what he wanted to stray, even to Phasma, his longest-time friend. Hux WAS all of the things that she was saying, and probably a whole lot more. And ... Ben had been lying, a bit, when he’d told Hux that he wasn’t into guys. Ben had long held the suspicion that he was somewhat bisexual, as he had found other males attractive in the past. But he didn’t feel like that side of himself would mesh well with his current self, the self who had (modest) popularity and was masculine and athletic and had a swarm of GIRLS ready to swoon whenever he so much as ran his fingers through his hair.

So he ignored this side of himself, and kept it locked away in his chest, where no one, not even Phasma, could discover it.

But if he were to acknowledge Hux in any way, if he were to make an attempt to get to know him on a level that was anything other than friendship, then that image Ben had of himself was in danger of shattering, and being exposed for what he was (or might be).

Instead of explaining all of this to Phasma, all he could say was “Let’s talk about something else, okay?”

Phasma nodded, and began talking about the game her badminton team had coming up. Ben listened, he nodded and asked questions, but really, he wasn’t entirely focused on her.

What he WAS focused on was sitting at a bench across the courtyard, a Diet Coke at his elbow and an open notebook in front of him, busily scratching a pencil across the paper.

As if sensing a pair of eyes on him, he suddenly lifted his head and looked around, a confused expression on his face. Ben just as quickly looked away and focused back on Phasma.

“So you guys lost your last two games against this team?”, Ben rejoined the conversation, taking a sip of his chocolate milk. “You think you’ll win this time?”

— —

_Just ignore it, he’s fine, he’s got an umbrella._

This is what Ben kept chanting to himself as he sat in the student parking lot, waiting on his old car to warm up. It was about a week later, after school. Normally he drove Phasma home after school (they lived a few houses down from each other on the same street), but she had badminton practice today and after, she was getting a ride with a teammate.

Across the street from him was a bus stop, and standing at that stop, holding an umbrella that was being battered around in the wind, was Hux.

_He’s got an umbrella, the bus can’t be that far away, he’ll be okay. Just go home, Ben._

But it was pouring, and loud cracks of lightning kept sparking up the sky. And that umbrella of his was really taking a beating.

Sighing, Ben rolled down his window and, making his voice loud, called, “Hey, come over here. I’ll drive you home.”

Hux looked very surprised ... yet he quickly ran across the street and scrambled into the car.

“Thanks,” he said, as he buckled his seatbelt. “I was going to die out there.”

Ben nodded. After asking Hux where he lived, a somewhat awkward silence fell between them. Ben didn’t have a clue on what to say or how to act. He didn’t want Hux to bring up the note or the dance ... yet at the same time, he almost wished he would. The air needed to be cleared on this, so that the discomfort would finally go away.

“So this is weird.”

Ben glanced at Hux when he said that, startled. Was it happening? Did Hux read Ben’s mind, and —

“What?”

“The rain. This is supposed to be the time of the year it snows, not rains. It’s feels more like springtime than early winter.”

“Oh ... yeah,” Ben agreed, his eyes back on the road. He had noticed that Hux appeared to be shivering, so he reached out and cranked up his heat by a notch. “But um, I’d rather have it like this. When it gets really cold out, this car barely runs at all. Like, if it’s 20 degrees or lower, there’s only a 50/50 chance that she’ll even start.”

“How come?”

Ben shrugged. “Eh, the engine is pretty old. Tires aren’t the best either. But there’s no point to sinking money into this car; it’d be like putting a bandaid over a dam.”

“That sucks.”

“It’s fine; I’ve been saving money since last year for another, hopefully better, used car. I figure I’ll try and make this one last through the winter, and by spring I’ll be able to get a new one.”

“How do you get money? I mean, do you have a job?”

“Eh, kind of. My dad and two of his friends have this small landscaping business that they own. Things like cutting grass, raking leaves, cutting down trees and stuff. I’ll usually put in a few hours with them on the weekends, and sometimes after school if I don’t have a lot of homework.”

“Really? That’s kind of cool.”

Ben shrugged. “I guess.”

“Does he pay you a lot?”

“The way it works is each house or whatever that we go to is a job. Depending on what we do or how much we do, dad will pay me like, between $50-$75 for each job. So a good day I can make maybe $200 or more.”

“That’s pretty cool no matter how you look at it. Sounds hard, though.”

“I mean I guess it is in the summer, because it’s really hot. But I like it now when it’s cooler and the sun isn’t trying to murder me. Winter is a bitch, though, because then it’s all snow shoveling and ice scraping. But I guess all in all it’s not a bad way to earn money.”

And you’re saving this for another car?”

“Yep.”

“What are you going to do with this one? Sell it?”

Ben laughed at that, shaking his head. “I don’t know who would buy it. If I’m lucky I’ll maybe get $100 at the scrap-metal yard for it.”

“Well, use the hundred for something really cool. Like maybe racing stripes to put on your new car. Or vanity license plates.”

“Racing stripes?? What decade do you think this is?”

“Racing stripes will always be in style.”

And just like that, the ride was over. Hux’s place was easier to get to than Ben thought.

Hux was about to get out. He was shouldering his backpack and his hand was on the door handle. He was talking to Ben, thanking him, but Ben could hardly hear whatever Hux was saying. In his own mind, all he could think about was asking one question, just one question and then he’d shut the door on this and leave it alone forever.

But no. He couldn’t. He _wouldn’t_. Because once you opened the door on something like this, it rarely closed again. It would always be open a crack, and it would never go away. Better to keep quiet, tell Hux to have a good night, and drive away again, before —

“Why the bus during the fifth grade field trip?”

Hux turned slowly in his seat, to face him, and Ben was suddenly aware of how CLOSE he was. How silent the car was. The sound of the rain beating down on the windshield. The sound of his own breathing in his ears.

“Excuse me?”

“Y-your note. I read it. You said, since we were partners on the bus during the fifth grade field trip. But why? What happened?”

Another pregnant pause. Ben was really regretting asking now, and was seconds from taking it back, when Hux cleared his throat, and said,

“You showed me your drawing.”

Ben tilted his head, confused. “Huh?”

“You pulled a paper out of your pocket. You showed me. It was a cat and a dog riding on top of an airplane. You said you drew it, and you took it with because you wanted to show one of the museum people it. You said you needed to ask how much better you needed to get, before they would hang up YOUR pictures in their museum.”

Ben bit his lower lip, thinking. What Hux was saying did sound familiar, somewhat ... but still ...

“And ... and my crappy drawing made you decide you liked me?”

“Yes and no. It was the idea behind it, actually. I had no idea you could draw or liked to draw. And you said, how much better you needed to get. That you were just a kid but recognized that you likely needed honing and improvement before your work could be recognized at museum-level.”

Ben just nodded, not knowing what else to say or do. He felt weird. Sitting here in his car with a guy who had openly expressed having feelings for him, and Ben not knowing how to process or respond to it, was surreal.

Hux seemed to intuit how Ben felt, and before the silence could go on any longer, he was opening the door and getting out.

“Thank you again for the ride,” he said, leaning back into the car with a smile. “I really appreciate it.”

“Y-yeah. No problem. Have a good night.”

“You, too,” Hux said, and then he shut the door and was walking quickly through the rain and into his house. Ben sat there and watched until he got inside, then pulled away, letting out a small sigh of relief.


	2. Chapter 2

“You want a ride?”

Hux looked up, and popped out one of his earbuds. The surprise was written all over his face. “What?”

“A ride. Do you want one?”

“But ... it’s not raining.”

“I can see that. I just ... I’m not in a hurry to get home, so ...”

Another confused look, and then Hux gave a tiny shrug and walked to Ben’s car.

“Sure. Thanks.”

It was once again after school, about two weeks later, and Ben had been getting into his car and noticed, as usual, Hux at the bus stop.

The weather was still surreally nice (very sunny for most of the week, with the temps staying in the high 50’s despite it being nearly time for the school’s winter break). So, really, there wasn’t any reason for Ben to offer Hux a ride.

Ben was a bit better prepared to handle the awkwardness, this time. He had the car’s radio turned on, not high enough so either would have to shout to be heard, but as a comforting background noise. He also had a list of prepared topics to talk about stored in his head.

But before he could get a word out, Hux said,

“Do you ever get one of those headaches that just won’t go away?”

“You want some Tylenol? Pretty sure I have some in the glove box.”

“No. Thanks though. But I took some an hour ago. Still waiting on it to kick in. And anyway I think it’s the glasses.”

“What do you mean?”

Hux took his glasses off and carefully rubbed each lens on his shirt.

“I’ve had these glasses for almost five years now. I’m probably due for a new prescription. And these are full of tiny scrapes and faults that make it a little blurry to see out of them, no matter how good I clean them.”

“That sounds like a pain in the ass. Why don’t you just wear contacts?”

“Because I’d probably freak out.”

“Huh?”

“I have this weird tic about things being near my eyes. I can’t even use eye-drops. So I doubt I’d be brave enough to stick contacts in there every day. In fact that’s why my prescription is so old; I’m really dreading going to the optometrist and having him being so close to my eyes.”

He glanced over at Ben, saying, softly, “But that’s probably really stupid, right?”

But Ben was shaking his head rigorously. “Not at all. I kinda have something like that, with pills. I can take the small round ones fine, but anything bigger, I just can’t swallow it. Something in my mind panics and I feel like I’m choking. So I either have to cut bigger pills into tiny pieces, or stick with the liquids and gummies.”

“That’s really interesting. I never had a problem with pills but I like gummies too. I take a gummy multivitamin every day.”

“Me, too!,” Ben said, and then they were both laughing.

“So why aren’t you in a hurry to get home?”

“What?”

“You said you were giving me a ride because you weren’t in a hurry to get home. Why?”

“Oh. Well, my uncle Luke is visiting us. Mom and dad are both still working so if I went right home, it’d just be me and him alone for at least an hour.”

“You don’t like him?”

Ben shrugged uncomfortably. “It’s not _exactly_ like that. Is just, Luke is so intense. His wife left him like 10 years ago and ever since then he’s been like, a hermit. He’s even got the long, wild hermit-beard. Hygiene isn’t the best, either, and he has almost no concept of personal space, you know? I mean, he’s a good person, and I love him, but I can only take him in small doses.”

Hux was quiet for a while, then: “Sounds like my dad.”

“Your dad is a weird hermit, too?”

“No. I meant, I can only take him in small doses, too. I’m lucky that he’s away so much. He’s an international business man, and he’s always traveling, so some weeks I only have to see him like, three days out of seven.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Hux said, and something about his tone of voice let Ben know that he didn’t want to get into it any further. But —

“Is your dad home right now? Like, is he expecting you?”

“Nope. He’s in London until Saturday.”

“So ... we’re both in the same situation, kind of. I don’t want to go home and you don’t have to be home. Um, you wanna go with me to get some pizza or something? It’s on me.”

“S-sure.”

“But just so you’re not misreading this, this is _just_ hanging out, like two guys hanging out, okay? Not meant to be anything else, so please don’t think into it too much. Like I said we’re both in the same situation, so why not?”

“Completely understood. So I’m not supposed to write this in my diary as being our first date?”

Ben nearly crashed the car when Hux said that, it took him off guard so much. Hux saw this reaction and burst into loud laughter.

“Relax! Don’t kill us, please; I swear I’m joking!”

Ben let out a few relived chuckles. “Okay, okay; that was a good one.”

“I know. So where are we going?”

— 

“You don’t eat a lot, do you?”

Hux looked up from his plate. Ben had taken them to Watto’s Pizzeria, a small, family-owned pizza place on the south side of town. They had gotten a large pepperoni to share, and a pitcher of root beer.

“I can’t eat a lot of pizza, actually. I’m slightly lactose intolerant.”

Ben stopped eating, surprised. “You are? You should have told me that! We could have gotten burgers or something instead!”

“It’s okay,” Hux said, taking another bite of his slice. “It’s not like I’ll die or break out or anything; my stomach will just make weird noises later. And I can’t stay away from stuff like this entirely; I love cheese too much.”

Ben laughed, and continued to eat. After a few minutes, he cleared his throat and spoke something that had been on his mind. 

“So can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“So ... so from the dance, and reading your note ... am I right to assume that you’re _gay_?”

Hux took a sip from his cup before answering, very matter-of-fact, “Yep.”

“Can I ask how you know that?”

“What do you mean?”

“How do you know you’re like that? How do you know you don’t still like girls, or won’t meet one you like someday?”

Hux smiled and leaned back. “Human sexuality is a complex thing, isn’t it? At this stage in my life, I know I just like boys. Doesn’t mean things can’t or won’t change later, but you get it.”

“Have you ever had a boyfriend?”

Hux shook his head. “Nope. Nobody wants me. I mean, obviously, right?”

Before Ben could answer, their waitress came over with the check.

“Hey, don’t I know you?”, she asked, peering at Ben as she set the slip down on the table.

Ben smiled. “Yeah. You’re in my biology class. Rey, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah. You’re Ben?”

“The one and only. So how do you work here? I thought Watto’s was just their family.”

“My dad knows Mr. Watto, so I got a job here.”

“That’s pretty cool. Striking it rich, huh?”

Rey laughed. “Not really. But tips are pretty good.”

“Aw; it seems my wallet will be empty after I pay this astronomical pizza bill,” Ben said, teasing her.

“Tell you what; I’m off tomorrow. Come hang out with me after school, buy me an ice cream cone and we’ll call it even.”

Ben smiled. He took the check and ripped off a small piece from the bottom, sliding it across the table to her. “It’s a deal. Write your number for me, pretty lady, and I’ll call you later tonight.”

Rey wrote it, and then her boss called for her, so she left them. When she was gone, Hux whistled and said, “I wish I could have that happen to me, but with guys.”

“Huh?”

“I wish I could just be sitting and minding my own business, and have some hot guy come up, flirt with me, and give me their number.”

“Flirt?”, Ben asked, genuinely confused. “She was just being nice.”

“Being nice is one thing, but she practically asked YOU on a date.”

“Hm,” Ben said, not totally agreeing with Hux’s assessment of the situation. Then, thinking about what ELSE he’d said, he leaned forward and told him,

“You know, sometimes, if you want something, you have to be aggressive and make it happen. Like instead of waiting for a hot guy to come up to you, you should go up to him.”

Hux gave him a wry smile. “I tried that already. It didn’t work.”

“Hux. Come on; I’m not ‘hot’. And I’m definitely not someone that you should want. You can do better.”

Ben got up with the check to take to the host at the front register. Hux pulled out his wallet but Ben waved him away, saying once again that it was on him.

When they got outside and back in the car, Hux asked, while buckling his belt, “Why aren’t you someone that I should want?”

Ben glanced at him before pulling out into traffic. “Do I really have to spell it out for you?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, um, you made High Honor Roll last semester, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And like, almost every semester before that?”

“Yeah.”

“When you get up in the morning, how do you wake up? Do your parents get you, or do you set an alarm?”

“I set an alarm.”

“And you said your dad is away for business a lot? Do you ever have parties when he’s gone?”

“Nope.”

“Do you do your own laundry?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, all of that. That’s why you shouldn’t want me. I’m not smart; I can just barely keep a C average. I’m shit at doing things on my own, like waking myself up, or laundry. You’re super-smart, and you don’t have rocks in your brain, you know? You have yourself together. Pretty soon high school will end and you’ll probably get a scholarship to some Ivy-league college, you’ll get some fancy degree and make millions. And if you still like men at that point, you’ll find some really handsome smart guy and you’ll make a home with him. And if we dated now, do you know what it would amount to? When you’re curled up with the handsome guy in front of a fireplace in a mansion, you’ll be talking about your exes and you’ll laugh and mention me, and chalk our relationship up to the experiences you had to go through to get to him. In other words, I’d just be a footnote in your history. Not really worth mentioning or even thinking about. And if that’s the inevitable conclusion, then why go through it in the first place?”

Hux gaped at Ben, completely taken off-guard. After some silence, he asked, softly, “Do you think about things like that all the time?

Ben shrugged. “No, not really.”

“Who the hell told you that you weren’t smart? Because what you just said shows you’re a really, really deep thinker.”

Ben gave him a wry smile; they’d pulled up in front of Hux’s house. “‘Deep thinking’ doesn’t help me pass math quizzes or write good science reports, though, does it?”

Hux looked at him a few moments longer, then turned and got out of the car. It wasn’t often that other people’s words could leave him near-speechless, but that was just what had happened. Nevertheless, he pulled himself together long enough to say, “Thanks for the food. See you in class tomorrow.”

Ben smiled, nodded, and then he was gone, leaving a very confused redhead standing and staring after him.


	3. Chapter 3

After the pizza place, Ben and Hux started to hang out regularly. It wasn’t something that they planned, or talked about. Ben would ask Hux if he wanted a ride, and 9/10 times they’d go and do something before heading home.

Ben in particular wasn’t sure what was going on; all he knew was that he immensely enjoyed being in Hux’s company. The initial awkwardness had disappeared completely, and what remained was a genuine bond with somebody that, it turned out, he had a lot in common with.

A part of him, however, a very small part, was worried. Hux had expressed feelings for him before, and didn’t give any indications that those feelings had at all dissipated.

Because Ben was spending so much time with him ... did Hux feel like he was teasing him? Leading him on?

Ben didn’t feel like that was the case. And he prayed Hux didn’t either, because being around the enigmatic redhead was ... soothing, in an odd way. Hux had a calmness to him, a maturity that Ben found appealing after the type of people (save Phasma) that he usually hung around with.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into one month, then two, and pretty soon Christmas had passed, winter vacation had come and gone, and the boys were entering their spring semester of school. Now it was early April, and the weather was just starting to get warm and pleasant again.

One Friday, Ben caught up to Hux at his locker after school.

“Hey, you ready to go?”

Hux nodded; he couldn’t speak because he’d had to leave school for a dentist’s appointment to remove a bad tooth. He would have just went home after, but there was a test in his last period class that he hadn’t wanted to miss. Because the work was so recent, his mouth was very numb and somewhat sore, making it difficult to talk.

They got to the car, and Ben unlocked the doors, turning it on. It wasn’t really cold but more and more lately Ben found that he needed to let the car sit and run for awhile before he could drive it. Hopefully this wouldn’t be the case much longer, however, as he’d estimated that he was only about a month away from reaching his monetary goal to buy a new (used) one.

As they sat and waited for the engine to warm up, Ben said,

“So I have something to ask you.”

Hux raised his eyebrows and leaned forward in his seat. 

“This weekend my dad is doing this huge job out at this place in Deer Flats. Somebody bought a lot of land and demolished all the houses. They had a separate crew come in already to clean up the boards and stuff like that, but now they need some actual landscaping done. There’s a rotted tree to be taken down, and the guy wants him to put down mulch and cut the overgrown grass, shit like that. Because it’s a big job he needs more than the usual crew, so he asked if I had any friends who might be interested. It’s an all day job, and you’d make $200. You interested?”

Hux nodded, and now he had a smile on his face.

“Great. I’ll pick you up tomorrow then, around 5:30, and we’ll head to the site. Bring some water bottles and pack a lunch. Dad’s got protective gloves and stuff like that so you don’t need to worry about those. Um, make sure you wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty or possibly ripped. I’d say something long-sleeved that you can roll up when you get got, and trust me, you will get hot.”

Hux started to laugh, lightly, without engaging his vocal cords. 

“What the hell?”

Hux pulled out his phone and quickly typed out something on his phones note pad, then held it in front of Ben’s face

“‘That’s great, I’ve always wanted to be hot!’”, Ben read aloud, before chuckling himself.

“That’s very funny, Hux. Is that goofy gas from the dentist still in effect?”

Hux out something else, then held it in front of Ben once more.

“‘They didn’t give me goofy gas. I’m just high on life, my friend.’”, Ben read, then smiled and shook his head. “Good to know. Hey ... okay though really what’s different about you? Did you cut your hair or something?”

Hux smiled and shook his head. He made a circle with his thumb and forefinger, and held it in front of his eye.

“Oh; you’re not wearing your glasses!”, Ben exclaimed, looking closer. “Did you actually put in contacts??”

Hux nodded, making his eyes super-wide and leaning close to Ben. Very close.

Close enough so that Ben noticed that the eyes he’d thought were blue all this time were actually an astoundingly vivid _green_.

Close enough so that, also for the first time, Ben noticed that Hux had a small scatter of tan-gold freckles dotting his pale cheeks.

Close enough so that Ben could breathe in his scent. What WAS that, anyway? He could identify the shampoo right away; it was Tea Tree by Paul Mitchell, something that Ben himself frequently used. But what was that other smell? Something extremely pleasant, like sandalwood, or patchouli. It reminded Ben of when he used to go camping with his parents when he was a kid; that intoxicating wild scent of forest and firewood.

Had Hux always smelled that good?

All of these thoughts and observations had passed through Ben’s brain in the space of a few seconds, and he quickly leaned away from Hux and, clearing his throat, said,

“Well, that’s pretty neat, Hux. Your contacts, I mean. I think the car’s warmed up enough now; let’s get home.”

—

Saturday morning, so early that the birds had just begun to chirp. When Ben had pulled up in front of Hux’s house, he’d thought that’d he’d have to wait a while for Hux to be ready.

But Hux was sitting on his front doorstep, looking almost annoyingly awake and chipper. He was dressed in a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants (almost identical to Ben’s outfit of a gray sweatshirt and black sweats) and had a small backpack on his back. In his hands were two to-go disposable coffee cups, one of which he handed to Ben as he got in the car.

“Thought you could use this,” he said, as he handed one over to Ben while he put his own in the cup holder and buckled his seatbelt.

“Is this coffee? I mean I appreciate it but I hate —“

“I know that. These are hot chocolates.”

Ben grinned and took a sip. “I guess my rants on the evils of the coffee bean industry didn’t fall on deaf ears after all.”

“Not really, but I didn’t want you to go on your no-coffee crusade alone.”

“I appreciate that.”

“So who’s all going to be there?”

Ben pulled away from the curb and onto the quiet street, before answering.

“There’s us, my dad, my uncle Lando, my uncle Chewie, and like 4 of Chewie’s friends, but they’re from Sweden and they don’t speak English very well.”

“‘Chewie’?”

Ben blushed slightly. “Yeah. Um, when I was 3 or so, and starting to talk, I couldn’t say ‘Uncle Charlie’ so it came out sounding like ‘Uncle Chewie’. The nickname just stuck, I guess.”

“You have a lot of uncles.”

“Oh, Lando and Chewie aren’t really my uncles, exactly. But they’ve been dad’s best friends since they were in high school, so they’re like family.”

“Is Chewie Swedish, too?”

“Yeah. He has a thick accent but he speaks English.”

“Since you’ve been around him your whole life, can you speak any Swedish?”

“Some. Mostly swear words and some common phrases, though. Like, _jag ar trott_.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means ‘I’m tired’.”

Hux grinned. “Well, wake up, sleeping beauty. We’ve got a busy day ahead.”

“How are you so cheerful this damn early??”

“Because I get to spend all day with you. Duh.”

Ben glanced at him. “Huh?”

“Usually we only hang out like after school. Today it’s all day. Plus I get to meet your father. Pretty big step in a relationship, when you meet the family.”

Ben flushed that now-familiar crimson, and Hux laughed. “Okay, really; we’ve been hanging out long enough for you to know by now when I’m joking, Ben.”

“I-I knew that was a joke! Obviously.”

Hux just smiled, and the two continued the rest of the car ride in a companionable silence.

— —

“That was interesting.”

It was the end of the day, around 6pm, and Ben and Hux were scraping the excess mud off of their shoes on the side of Ben’s car.

Hux had truly surprised Ben today; for being so thin and looking so delicate, Hux was really strong. He pushed wheelbarrows of tools and refuse back and forth across the field with what seemed like relative ease. He was able to use an ax to help decimate the trunk of the tree Han had cut down, which was something that Ben STILL had trouble with. The boys took up differing ends of the field to mow, and by the time they met in the middle, Ben looked at Hux’s ridiculously straight, even rows and went back to do several of HIS over again.

Hux had made a good impression on Han, too.

Han Solo was probably the most easy-going person Ben knew, in normal circumstances. But when it came to his work, he was as serious as a heart attack. He had little patience for lazy workers or poorly done tasks. When Ben had introduced Hux to him, Han had been friendly, but Ben could see in his eyes that he doubted whether Hux had the muscle or the stamina to really put in a hard day’s labor.

But Hux had proved him wrong, just like he had with Ben.

“Hey, kid,” Han said, coming over to the two boys when they were eating lunch. “If you’re ever looking for a little extra cash, or maybe a summer job, come and see me, okay? You’re a helluva good worker.”

“Thank you, Mr. Solo.”

“Han. Call me Han.”

To Ben, he said, “I can’t believe you’ve never brought this kid around before. We definitely could have used him on the Casnian field job.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have had to spend an hour pulling HIM out of a mud-trap.”

Hux started to laugh, and Ben scowled furiously. “Dad ... really?”

Han sat down next to them, and lit a cigarette. At work was the only place he could smoke; Leia absolutely forbid it around the house. “So picture this,” he said to Hux, after exhaling a cloud. “We’re dredging out this swamp near this field. I hear a scream and look over; Ben is literally up to his neck in mud and water. He’d stepped into this sinkhole and got his shoe caught. I had to have all my men stop work and get him out before he drowned. And then we finally get him out, and there’s leeches just covering his arms and neck, his legs ... you should have heard the screams. They could probably hear him in the next county, it was so loud.”

“Holy crap ... that must have been a really traumatic experience for a kid.”

“A kid? This was two weeks ago!”, Han exclaimed, to which Hux started laughing all over again.

“You wouldn’t laugh it had happened to YOU,” Ben told him, still scowling. 

“You’re lucky most of those suckers just pulled right off. But there were at least 5 that I had to burn off with my lighter.”

Hux whistled through his teeth. “God, Ben ... I can’t believe you didn’t tell me any of this.” 

Han stood up and stretched. “See? Come around more and I’ll have some more stories for you. I have this terrific one about Ben and a scarecrow. He —“

“Dad!”, Ben exclaimed, glaring at him. “Don’t you have anywhere else to be right now?!”

Han grinned and began to walk off towards the others. “Fine, fine. About twenty more minutes, boys; then it’s back to work.”

When Han was far enough away, Hux said, “Your father is hilarious. I wish mine was like that.”

“You want to trade?”

Hux shook his head. “No. Dad has his faults but he’s not THAT bad. And he always brings me back cool stuff from the places he travels to.”

“That’s good. I guess I wouldn’t really trade Han, either. I mean he’s annoying but so am I. We make a good duo.”

“What’s your mom like?”

“You’ll meet her today, actually. Before I left the house she said to ask you to come to dinner.”

Hux smiled. “Really?”

“Yeah. Please actually come; if you don’t my mom will make me drive her to your house to get you. She can be a little aggressive.”

Now they were done for the day, and outside of Ben’s car, ready to leave.

“Hey, um, shouldn’t I go home real quick to change? My clothes are all dirty and —“

Ben pulled his phone out of his pocket and read aloud the last text Leia had sent, “‘Tell him it’s okay if he’s dirty. Tell him you and your dad are always dirty at my table.’”; to which Hux burst out laughing.

“Wow. Okay, then; let’s go.”

—

Ben didn’t know what had possessed his mother to go all-out for a simple dinner, but she had.

Roasted chicken. Roasted red potatoes. Corn on the cob. Green bean cassarole. And best of all, this wonderful pineapple-cherry cake that Leia made for special occasions, from a recipe she’d inherited from her mother.

“Hi!”, she’d said when the boys pulled up, and gave Hux a big hug. It would have been surprising if Ben hadn’t warmed Hux that his mother was the hugging type. “Come on in; dinner’s just about ready.”

The two were ahead of Han and Lando (who was also coming to dinner) by about 5 minutes, and Ben told Hux to hurry and fill a plate.

“Shouldn’t we wait for your dad and uncle?”

“Nope. They eat like animals. Get some while it’s still here.”

“You’re not one to talk about eating like a animal, Benjamin,” Leia said, as she set down a runner of gravy. “But Armitage, Ben is right; help yourself while there’s time.”

Dinner was entirely pleasant. Han and Lando were both great story tellers, and they filled the meal with laughter and conversation from beginning to end. 

By the time Hux pushed back from the table, he was thoroughly stuffed.

“That may have been the best meal I’ve ever had,” he told Leia, appreciatively. “Do you want help with the dishes?”

“No, honey. You and Ben run along and play.”

“Play? What am I, six?”, Ben asked, shaking his head. He grabbed several rolls on a plate to take to his room, as well as another piece of cake.

“Yes. A very tall, bottomless pit of a six year old. Now get,” Leia said, humming as she cleared the table.

Ben led Hux to his room, and Hux stopped and looked around. Ben had a huge bed with a black blanket, sheets and pillowcases, a black armchair in the corner, a bookshelf crammed full, and a small end table in the opposite corner. The walls were a dark blue, and peppered with various band and movie posters. A tv was hung up on the wall opposite the bed, and several game systems were underneath it on the floor.

Hux sat down at the edge of Ben’s bed, observing, “You really like black, huh?”

“What’s wrong with black?”

“Nothing. I like it too. But don’t you miss the absence of light?”

Ben pointed to the window. “That’s what the sunshine is for, Sunshine.”

“Hey, so ... am I allowed to write about THIS in my diary, then? The first time you get me into your bed?”

Ben blushed, then shook his head. “Do you actually HAVE a diary? Because you bring it up a lot.”

“Oh, I do. I write in it every day.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. It started off as a therapy thing after my mother died, and I guess I just stuck with it.”

“What kind of things do you write about?”

Hux brought up both legs off the floor and sat cross-legged. “Oh, everything. School, friends, the weather, sometimes my dreams if they’re really weird ones. Things like that.”

_Don’t ask don’t ask don’t —_

“Anything about me?”

Hux gave him a lopsided smirk. “Oh, yeah; tons of stuff.”

“Really? Like what?”

“Well I must have filled up half a journal alone just talking about how hot you are.”

Ben’s face caught fire, and it was only Hux’s laughing that kept Ben from dying of complete awkwardness.

“That’s a joke, Ben. But if you want to know the truth ... I write a lot about hanging out with you. How much fun I have. The funny things you say.”

Ben’s expression softened. “Thanks, Hux. I like hanging out with you, too.”

“You know, the day I gave you that note — I thought for sure you’d completely avoid me after that. So I’m ... I’m really glad that we’re friends, now. And hey, the next best thing after a boyfriend is probably a good friend, right?”

Ben nodded, smiling. “Agreed.”

Hux tucked a small lock of hair behind his ear, and tilted his head a bit, exposing his neck. Ben didn’t know what it was, what came over him, but in that moment, he wanted to kiss that neck. He wanted to push Hux back into his bed, to climb over him and kiss him all over. He wanted to —“

“Are you okay?”, Hux asked, snapping Ben out of his thoughts. “Your face went strange there for a second.”

“Y-yeah. Sorry I think I’m just tired.”

“Do you want me to go, let you get some rest?”

“No! I mean ... you don’t have to. Stay with me at least another hour. You wanna play something on Xbox?”

“Sure,” Hux said, giving Ben that knee-weakening ((Knee-weakening?? Had this thing escalated to that, already??)) smile of his. “Can I use your bathroom first?”

Ben got up and showed him where it was, and then flopped down face-first on his bed. The bed that now smelled like Hux.

_Ben ... get your shit together, here. What the hell’s the matter with you??_

He heard Hux coming back, and quickly sat up, rifling through his games. Because playing games and hanging out was what friends did with each other.

_Friends._


	4. Chapter 4

“Hux ... don’t freak out but I might have to leave for like half an hour, to go to the press and tell them that there’s a new Gordon Ramsay in town. And then come back to get a fourth plate.”

Hux chuckled. “That good, eh?”

“Good? Hux, this is phenomenal! Where in the world did you learn to make this??”

“I was watching cooking YouTube videos a few nights ago when I couldn’t sleep. Someone made this and I thought it looked really good, so I thought I’d try it.”

“Well I’m glad you did. It’s like my mouth is orgasming.”

“Odd choice of words, but, all things considered, I’ll take that compliment.”

It was a Friday night, and Ben having dinner at Hux’s house. He hadn’t known that Hux liked to cook as a hobby, so when Hux had invited him to eat as they were driving home from school, it was surprising.

And watching Hux cook was a slice of what Ben considered domestic bliss. He sat at the table as Hux worked around him, moving around his little kitchen with grace and ease. And he ... he didn’t exactly look ugly, in his oversized apron, either. They talked, they joked and laughed, and before Ben knew it, the meal was ready.

Ben had never heard of Braciole before, and was leery about it when Hux was explaining what it was: rolled-up thin sliced beef stuffed with Italian bacon, herbs and cheese.

“The sauce is supposed to be a wine sauce, but obviously I can’t get any wine, so I used tomato sauce instead,” Hux told him, as he put the finishing touches on Ben’s plate. Ben looked at it warily, then, using his fork, cut off the tiniest piece and lifted it to his mouth.

And he hadn’t been able to stop eating since. He was licking the sauce off of his second plate and was already reaching for the casserole dish in the center of the table to get himself thirds.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” was all Hux said, but Ben could tell that he was pleased. After Ben finally forced himself to stop eating, he found that he could barely get up from his chair, and was badly wishing that he was wearing sweats instead of jeans.

“Do you need help with the dishes?”, Ben asked, trying to be polite yet really hoping Hux declined him.

“No, I’m good. Go sit on the couch and watch tv or something; you look like you’re about to explode.”

Ben grinned and went into Hux’s living room, slipping out of his shoes and sitting cross-legged on the sofa. He had only been over here a handful of times in the past, and was amazed each time at how immaculately clean Hux’s place was. If it had been BEN left alone for days at a time, he was positive his house would be a sloppy wreck.

He turned on something random and leaned back, closing his eyes. He only meant to rest them for a few seconds, and he had no idea how long he was out of it, but suddenly Hux was there beside him, sitting a few spaces from him on the couch.

“That poison I put in your food must be taking effect.”

Ben nodded. “Yep. Is this the part where you put me in a bathtub full of ice and harvest my organs?”

“Maybe. You’re not a smoker, right? Because lungs are going for pretty good prices these days.”

“Really? I would have thought it’d be the liver or kidneys that pulled in the big bucks.”

“Those too. But don’t worry; I’ll give you a sedative or something before I cut you open.”

“I might just pass out on my own; I ate soooo much,” Ben groaned, stretching. “No regrets, but dammit I’ve been trying to pull myself off your couch for like thirty minutes now.”

Hux hesitated, then said, cautiously, “If ... if you’re that tired ... why don’t you stay here tonight?”

Ben turned his head just as slowly, contemplating Hux with wide eyes. “Really?”

Hux nodded. He was looking away from Ben now, but Ben could see that he was blushing.

“Sure. I mean, it’s not like we have school tomorrow, right?”

“No, but ... I think I’ll pass, Hux. I’m doing a job with my dad out in Fairview tomorrow, I should probably get to bed early, so —“

“Oh, yeah, okay,” Hux said, his face still pink. “Maybe some other time then?”

“Of course.”

The job thing was a lie. Ben wasn’t going anywhere with Han until tomorrow afternoon, so he had no need to go to bed early.

But he was terrified that if he stayed, if he spent so much time alone, completely and totally alone, with Hux, _at night_ , something was going to happen.

Hux was leaning close to him again.  
Almost TOO close.

His hair was tousled from the heat of the kitchen, and Ben had the strongest urge to reach out and run his fingers through that fine strawberry field. To put his hand on that porcelain cheek, to pull Hux close and —

“It’s still early yet, though,” Hux said, breaking that strange staticky feeling that had taken over Ben. “You feel like watching a movie?”

Ben nodded, still feeling unable to properly speak.

“Hey ... are you okay?”

“I’m okay. Why?”

“You’re sure? You seem so tense.”

“No I’m okay, really. Just stuffed.”

Hux smiled. “Well then I guess that means I get to invite you for dinner again, right?”

“You’d better. But warn me in advance so I can run some laps or something; so much good food is going to turn me into a real porker.”

“Will do.”

Hux found a movie, and the two began to watch quietly. After about an hour, Ben looked over, and was surprised that Hux had fallen asleep, his arms crossed in front of him and his head lolled back on the soft couch back.

Carefully, moving excruciatingly slow so that he wouldn’t wake him, Ben inched towards him until he was right next to him. He studied his face with painstaking attention to detail.

 _How is his skin so clear?_ , Ben wondered to himself. _My skin breaks out all the time but his is so smooth-looking and even. Does he wear makeup? Because there’s no way he could look THAT good naturally._

Ben saw himself reach out a finger, to trace the firm fullness of Hux’s lips. He saw himself do this, and it was only with a tremendous effort that he was able to pull his hand back, horrified at what he had almost done.

_What the fuck is WRONG with you, Ben?! Get a grip, you idiot! Do you have any idea how fucking weirded-out he would be if he woke up right now and saw you staring at him and trying to touch him Iike a creep?_

Moving slowly backwards, Ben inched away from Hux and then lightly got to his feet. He tiptoed into the other room and got his shoes, slipping then on with quiet care. He found a piece of paper in a kitchen drawer, and wrote,

_**You fell asleep so I took off. Thank you for the food! I’ll text you tomorrow and see if you want to hang out after I’m done with my dad.** _

— _**Ben**_

Without even realizing it, Ben started to draw a heart after his name, then quickly caught his slip and turned it into a smiley face, feeling absolutely disgusted with himself.

He left without looking behind him, before he did (or attempted) any more stupid things tonight.

— —

Ben walked down the hallway to the cafeteria, pausing, as he often did now, in front of the large glass double-doors at the opposite end of the hall. The school had been working on expanding the library for over a year, and now construction was finally complete. The new area was twice as big, with updated computers, and larger tables, and of course, more books. There was even a mini-cafe, where students could get things like coffee and pastries and the like to eat while they studied.

And perhaps most interesting of all: more than half of the new “staff” consisted solely of students. They worked after school, shelving books, helping other students find the materials they needed, and such.

Hux was one of these new employees, and every day he’d gush to Ben about something or other.

Ben couldn’t really get excited about the library like Hux was, though. But listening to Hux, well; it was extremely cute, the way the redhead got excited about organizing file cabinets, and the smell of books, and the ‘exquisite shininess’, as he put it, of the new tables.

Hux only worked 3 nights a week, but still, that seemed Iike too many to Ben. He missed having Hux to hang out with after school, although he did still insist on picking him up and taking him home, despite Hux’s lengthy protests.

Ben sighed and continued on to the cafeteria, where Phasma was already waiting for him at a table.

“Aren’t you gonna get food?”, she asked, as he sat across from her.

“No. Not really hungry.”

She raised an eyebrow. “ _You’re_ not hungry? Are you sick?”

“I’m okay.”

“You’re sure? You’ve seemed a little down lately.”

“I’m fine.”

You didn’t believe him, but saw that pushing him to say more would be futile.

So instead she began talking about the dance that was fast approaching.

It was a Sadie Hawkins dance, where the girls asked the boys to be their dates, rather than the other way around. And Ben had been literally bombarded with offers since the beginning of the week.

ALL of which he (politely) turned down.

He said as much to Phasma, and once more she gave him a confused expression.

“So what is it?”, she said, spreading a packet of mustard over her tator-tots. “Did the right girl not ask you yet, or what?”

“It’s — it’s not that.”

“Do you just not want to go, then?”

“No, I do. Phasma, have you ever been in a situation where there was someone you really wanted to .. to be with, but you were scared to tell that person, because it might mess up your friendship?”

Phasma’s face went pale, and, not meeting Ben’s eyes, she said, slowly, “Ben. I really like you but ... but I think of you as a brother, you know? I can’t —“

“Wait, what?? I’m not talking about you!”

Phasma looked up, the relief on her face. “Oh, thank god! But then, who are you talking about?”

“Phas — I love you. I TRUST you. So if I tell you something about me, something personal, I trust you to keep it a secret, and to not make fun of me for it. Okay?”

Phasma nodded, noting the seriousness of the situation. She reached across the table and put her hand over Ben’s clenched fist, squeezing warmly. “You can tell me anything, Ben. Literally anything.”

Ben pauses for a few moments, trying to put some order to his jumbled-up thoughts before speaking. Eventually he looked her in the eye and said, quietly,

“I’m bisexual. I’ve liked girls AND boys since grade school. I swear I would have told you sooner but I always thought that as long as I kept dating just girls, it was something I could hide, you know? But somethings happened, or somethings been changing that’s made me not want to hide it anymore. Um ... Hux. I think I like Hux. I mean, I like Hux a LOT. And if I go to that dance with anyone, if I date anyone, it HAS to be him.”

Phasma was quiet for a long while, her clear blue eyes studying Ben’s face. Just when Ben thought he’d go crazy with fear, she got up from her place, sat down directly beside him, and put both of her long, soft arms around him.

They were both quiet for a long while, simply holding each other and talking in the moment. Ben was near-languid in her embrace, his relief making him limp; it was finally out. He’d finallly confessed to someone about the secret part of himself, damn the consequences. Until this moment, Ben hadn’t realized just how unsettled and discontent he had been in his mind, keeping this facet of his personality pushed down for so long. Even just saying the words ‘I’m bisexual’ lifted an incredible weight from his chest. 

Eventually Phasma pulled back and, with a jubilant smile, said,

“I TOLD you so, about Hux. So when are you telling him?”

— —

“So ... there’s something I want to ask you.”

Hux looked up from his papers. “Yeah?”

It was a few days later, and, after much encouragement (and pushing) from Phasma, Ben finally felt ready to tell Hux how he felt. He went to the library after school when Hux was working, for some reason thinking that it’d be easier to tell him in a public place. He’d gone up to him at his desk, having to pause when he saw how cute Hux looked with a load of books in his arms.

“Um, well ... I wanted to know —“

“Hux! Come in here a sec, please!”

The call came from the office behind the desk; apparently Hux’s boss wanted him.

“Oh, hang on a minute. Don’t go away!” Hux said, quickly getting up and going into the little room. 

Ben sighed. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he should just forget this craziness and skip the dance altogether.

He turned on his heel, and was about to bolt out, when Phasma entered from the other side of the room.

“Hey!”, she whisper-shouted, going up to him. “How’d it go?”

“This isn’t gonna work. Let’s hurry and get out —“

But Phasma held up her hand, stopping the rest of his sentence. With the other she reached into her backpack, carefully pulling out a long-stemmed rose.

“Here; the drama club is selling these for a fundraiser. Give this to him.”

“But ... but what if —“

She quickly kissed his cheek, and gave him a tight hug. “Good luck!”

She left, and before Ben could sneak out after her, Hux came out of the office. “Sorry about that. It’s time for my break; you want to come sit in the break room with me?”

“Is that okay? I mean I don’t work here.”

“It’s fine. No ones here anyway.”

Ben nodded, angling the rose at his side so that Hux wouldn’t see it, as he followed him out the doors. 

The two sat at one of the tables, and Hux dug around in his pocket, coming up with a few singles and some change for the vending machine.

“You want anything?”

“No, I’m okay.”

Hux came back to the table with a bag of Fritos, and a Diet Coke. He popped the top and took a sip, before asking, “So what did you want to talk to me about?”

_Oh fuck ... can I do this??_

“Um, well, you know how that dance is coming up at school?”

“Yeah? Next Saturday, right?”

Ben swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. Um ... Hux, I ... I just ...”

Hux put down his soda, and leaned forward, peering closely at Ben. 

“Are you alright? Your face is really red!”

“I’m fine. Um ... um ...” 

Ben stopped, took a deep breath to center himself, and brought the rose into view. He kept his eyes down on the table as he held it out towards Hux.

“T-this is for you. I ... Hux, I like you. I mean I SERIOUSLY like you, and I want you to go to that dance with me. I’ll pick you up and hold your hand and dance with you the whole night. And then at the end of the night I want us to have our f-first kiss, because, again, I really, REALLY like you. W-hat do you think?”

He looked up, terrified at what Hux’s reaction was going to be to all this. Hux was holding his rose, his eyes wide but his face otherwise unreadable.

“I ... don’t want that.”

Bens heart dropped into his feet. “You don’t?”

Hux shook his head, and stood up. Before Ben could register what was happening, Hux leaned over him, took Ben’s face between his hands, and gave him a soft, deep kiss.

“I didn’t want our first kiss to be at the dance,” he murmured when he let go of the stunned Ben. “But everything else: yes. A resounding yes. But I have some terms and conditions.”

“Which are?”

“AFTER the dance, the next day, me and you are together. You’re my boyfriend, and I’m yours. And I can hold your hand all the time. And kiss you. And steal your shirts and wear them. And the most important thing of all; I get to write about today, and the dance, and every day, in my diary. Deal?”

Ben threw both arms around him, hugging him tightly. “It’s a deal.”

When they let go of each other, Ben asked, “What time do you get off tonight?”

“8:30.”

“Okay. I’m coming back to pick you up. You’re going to let me buy you some of those super-spicy cheese fries you like, and we’re going to take them to the beach , sit in the car and eat, and watch the waves.”

Hux rewarded him with their second kiss, and Ben smiled; he’d always thought that kissing a boy wouldn’t be as good as kissing a girl. But Hux ... he smelled so good, and his lips were so full and soft.

“It’s a date, Ben.”

Ben all but floated back to his car, and groaned when he looked at his dashboard’s clock. 6:15?? He’d have to wait an entire two hours and fifteen minutes to see him again?

Oh, well.

Ben cut everything but the radio, and popped in the cd Hux had made him. He opened up his phone with a grin; he had a LOT to text Phasma about.


End file.
